I’ve just seen the news on Sir Alex. As I have said many times before the boss wasn’t just the greatest and best manager I ever played under he was also a father figure to me from the moment I arrived at the club at the age of 11 until the day I left.

Without him I would never have achieved what I have done in my career. He understood how important it was to play for your country and he knew how much it meant to me.

After ’98 without the manager I would have found it virtually impossible to cope with the attention I was getting on and off the field and for this I will always be grateful to him for his support and protection.

I am truly honoured to have been guided by the greatest manager in football and to have had the career that I had under him.